An RDA vape is a vape that uses a rebuildable dripping atomizer: an atomizer with an open build deck where you install your own coils and cotton, then drip e-liquid straight onto the wick instead of filling a tank. RDAs give you full control over the coil build and are known for strong flavor and dense vapor, but they hold only a few drops at a time and take more skill than a pod kit or a tank with prebuilt coils.
This guide explains what an RDA is, how it compares with RBAs, RTAs and RDTAs, and what building your first RDA involves.
What Is an RDA Vape?
RDA stands for rebuildable dripping atomizer. In an RDA, you build your own coils and install the wire on the deck yourself, unlike the prebuilt coils that most tanks and pods use. To vape, you drip e-liquid onto the cotton and coil, and the vapor is drawn up through the mouthpiece, or drip tip. Most vapers who try an RDA have already used pod kits or tanks and want more control over flavor and vapor.
RDAs are designed to sit on a mod with a 510 connection, most often a box mod that gives you adjustable power. A box mod's larger battery and wider range of settings suit the low-resistance builds many RDA users run. RDAs, RTAs and other rebuildables turned coil building into a hobby of its own, and many vapers enjoy tuning their builds as much as vaping them.
Different Types of Rebuildable Atomizers
RBA simply means rebuildable atomizer. Some RBAs have a tank or other reservoir for e-liquid and some don't. The liquid is either dripped onto the coils by hand or fed from a reservoir to coils you've built yourself.
RDAs have the simplest design of the rebuildables and usually the most open airflow, which is why they're a common first rebuildable for vapers moving on from cig-alikes and pod kits. The trade-off is capacity: an RDA has no separate tank, only a small juice well under the deck, so after a handful of puffs you need to drip more e-liquid onto the wicks.
Some vapers pair an RDA with a squonk mod, sometimes called a squonk box. The atomizer is the same type of RDA, but it uses a hollow bottom-feed pin. When you squeeze a soft bottle inside the mod, e-liquid is pushed up through the pin to wet the cotton, so you don't need to take the drip tip off to refill.
RTAs are rebuildable tank atomizers. They have a tank to hold the e-liquid, but you still build your own coils. Vapers who don't want to keep reaching for the bottle tend to prefer them. The build deck is usually smaller than an RDA's, which leaves less room for complex builds, and the airflow is more enclosed because the deck sits inside the tank.
RDTAs are rebuildable dripping tank atomizers. The build deck sits on top of a tank, and the wicks hang down into the liquid, so they draw e-liquid up on their own while the deck stays open like an RDA.
Differences in RBA, RDA and RTA and How to Choose the Right One
| Type | How it's fed | E-liquid capacity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| RDA | Drip e-liquid onto the wicks by hand | A few drops in the juice well | Flavor, open airflow, experimenting with builds |
| Squonk RDA | Squeeze bottle in the mod feeds a bottom-feed pin | The squonk bottle | RDA flavor with fewer refill stops |
| RTA | Tank feeds the wicks | Several milliliters in the tank | All-day use with your own builds |
| RDTA | Wicks hang from the deck into the tank below | The tank under the deck | An open deck with a built-in reservoir |
- RBA vs RDA: an RDA is one type of RBA, the type where e-liquid is dripped onto the coils.
- RDA vs RTA: with an RDA, you drip e-liquid onto the coils and wicks by hand. An RTA feeds them from a tank, so it holds far more liquid than the few drops in an RDA's well.
- RDTA vs RDA: an RDTA keeps the open deck of an RDA but adds a tank below, so the wicks stay wet without dripping.
- RTA vs RDTA: both are rebuildable tanks. An RTA usually has the deck underneath a chimney and bell inside the tank, while an RDTA has an open deck sitting on top of the tank.
Which one suits you comes down to how you vape. Do you vape a lot through the day? Would refilling every few puffs bother you? Would you rather carry a tank? Our guide to choosing the right RBA covers what to look for.
How to Build Your RDA
Building an RDA feels fiddly the first time, but it gets easier quickly. Before you start, you'll need wire, a coil jig or screwdriver shaft to wrap it on, cutters, organic cotton and, most importantly, an ohm reader or a mod that reads resistance. Our guide to what you need to build your own vape lists the kit.
- Wrap and fit the coils. Wrap the wire around your jig, then place one lead into each post hole on the deck. On a common dual-coil deck with four post holes, fit both coils the same way so they match.
- Tighten and trim. Tighten the post screws onto the leads and trim the excess wire close to the posts.
- Check the resistance. Put the RDA on an ohm reader or your mod and confirm the reading is stable and matches your plan. Make sure it suits your mod and batteries before you fire it.
- Space and pulse the coils. Fire at low power and gently adjust the wraps so they glow evenly from the center outward, with no hot spots.
- Wick. Thread a strip of cotton through each coil so it's snug but not tight, trim the ends to reach the bottom of the juice well, and fluff them out.
- Prime and vape. Drip e-liquid onto the cotton until it's fully soaked, fit the top cap and start at low power.
Understanding resistance and current draw is part of building safely. Our explainer on Ohm's law for vaping covers the basics, and our vape battery safety rules explain why your batteries must be rated for the current your build pulls.
If you want to try a VAPORESSO RDA, the FORZ RDA comes with two coils, a squonk bottom-feed pin, a 510 drip tip adapter and an extra 810 drip tip, so you can run it as a standard dripper or on a squonk mod.
RDAs aren't the simplest way to vape, but many vapers find the flavor and the control over every part of the build worth the extra effort. Always use quality batteries and treat any rebuildable setup with care.
FAQ
What Does RDA Stand for in Vaping?
RDA stands for rebuildable dripping atomizer. You build the coils yourself and drip e-liquid directly onto the cotton instead of filling a tank.
Does an RDA Have a Tank?
No. An RDA has only a small juice well under the deck, so you drip more e-liquid every few puffs. If you want a rebuildable with a tank, look at an RTA or an RDTA.
Is an RDA Good for Beginners?
Not usually. An RDA means building coils, checking resistance and matching your build to your mod and batteries. Most new vapers are better off starting with a pod kit or a tank with prebuilt coils.
What Is a Squonk RDA?
A squonk RDA has a hollow bottom-feed pin. Paired with a squonk mod, you squeeze a bottle inside the mod to push e-liquid up into the wicks, so you don't need to drip from the top.
